Daily Devotional for Wednesday, September 4

The Sheep and the Shepherd

“Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure,” Psalm 80:3-5.

Imagine a loving and forgiving Savior who remains silent for a season in response to our constant rebellion and disobedience. The tension of this psalm is created by such a desolate season for God’s people because they are not experiencing His guidance nor His fellowship. However, it seems that God is not distant, nor has He turned His face. No, God’s people admit that they have turned their face from Him in rebellion. Their prayer of repentance is that He would now turn their faces back to Him so that they can enjoy His fellowship and guidance once again.

Since the beginning of time, mankind has waffled through seasons of obedience and rebellion while a loving God longs to lead and bless them. God clearly declares His law and expectations of obedience to us through His Word. Yet, we often stray from obedience into sin when we give in to our lusts and Satan’s temptations. In these times of rebellion, it may seem that God has turned His back on us, and we may find Him distant. It is vital for us to remember that when we turn to sin, we turn away from God and thus we cannot see His face nor sense His guidance.

Like the children of Israel, we may find ourselves bathed in tears of despair when we do not feel close to God or sense His guidance in our lives. In these times, we must remember that we turned astray, and we must return to Him to enjoy His forgiveness and grace.

DAILY THOUGHT
When you feel distant from God, turn quickly to Him in repentance and enjoy His presence once again.

Steven Ridings